Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – President Adama Barrow has publicly rejected the High Court’s decision to acquit Ousainou Bojang and his sister in the 2023 Sukuta-Jabang Police Intervention Unit (PIU) shooting case, declaring that the government will appeal the ruling while also launching fresh political attacks on opposition leader Ousainou Darboe.
Speaking at a political gathering in Foni Somita, President Barrow said his administration supports the decision by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions to challenge the acquittal, insisting the government remains convinced that Bojang was responsible for the killing of two police officers.
“We suspected he killed the officers, and we believe he is the one who killed them,” Barrow said, despite the ruling delivered by Justice Jaiteh that cleared Bojang and his sister of the charges.
The president’s remarks signal a firm political backing for the prosecutors’ decision to pursue an appeal, an action that followed intense public debate and criticism surrounding the case and the government’s earlier handling of the matter.
Political Barbs Target UDP Leader
During the same address, Barrow also took aim at Ousainou Darboe, the longtime leader of the United Democratic Party, accusing him of hypocrisy over his reaction to the court verdict.
The president said Darboe had previously rejected court decisions that went against him but had now accepted the acquittal of the Bojang siblings.
Barrow went further by suggesting that public suspicions linking Darboe to the case might not be unfounded, claiming the veteran opposition figure had “unclean hands” in the matter.
In another controversial remark, Barrow mocked Darboe’s age, claiming that although the UDP leader officially lists his age as 78, he believes the opposition figure is actually far older.
“Officially, Ousainou Darboe is seventy-eight years, but knowing him and his age, I can unofficially disclose that he is more than ninety years,” Barrow told supporters.
Yankuba Darboe Responds
The comments quickly drew a sharp response from Yankuba Darboe, Chairman of the Brikama Area Council, who defended the UDP leader and accused the government of trying to fabricate a political narrative around the killings.
In a strongly worded statement, Yankuba Darboe said President Barrow’s “plan A has failed spectacularly,” arguing that many Gambians do not believe the allegations that Bojang murdered the two police officers or that he was linked to the UDP.
He also rejected claims that the opposition party or its leaders had any involvement in the killings.
“It is now very clear to all that Ousainou Bojang was not a member or supporter of the UDP, and that he was definitely not an assassin,” he said.
Yankuba Darboe further accused the government of attempting to implicate him, the UDP leader, and the party in the case, adding that such efforts had collapsed.
“You can appeal for as much as you like, but this case is a dead horse and you cannot resuscitate it back to life,” he said.
Case Remains Politically Charged
The acquittal of the Bojang siblings in the high-profile PIU shooting case has triggered intense political reactions and public debate across the country.
With the government now backing an appeal, the legal battle appears set to continue, even as the case increasingly fuels political tensions between President Barrow’s administration and the UDP leadership.
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